Brahman and Chhetri of Nepal - Religion and Expressive Culture

Religious Beliefs.
All Brahmans and Chhetris are Hindus and subscribe to most of the basic
Hindu beliefs. At a minimum these include three notions. One is
dharma—the idea that each person has a specific duty, moral code,
and set of behaviors which are entailed by virtue of membership in a
group (such as a caste group). Another idea is that of
karma—sometimes likened to "cause and effect,"
because it explains whatever present state of affairs exists in terms of
the events in previous lives that produced it. The third is
moksha
(salvation)—release from the round of rebirths that
reincarnation involves.

Religious Practitioners.
Brahmans may act as family priests (for Brahman and Chhetri households,
but not for other castes and ethnic groups), as well as officiate at
shrines and temples and at rituals associated with major festivals. They
also handle all the rituals performed during marriage. They are
generally present on religious occasions and read excerpts from the
Vedas or other Sanskrit texts. They also recite from the Puranas and
from the two great Hindu epics, the
Ramayana
and the
Mahabharata.

Ceremonies.
All Brahmans and Chhetris are Hindus and observe festivals, perform
rituals, and worship deities associated with Hinduism. One of the more
important annual festivals is Dasein (or Durga Puja), in which the
goddess Durga (Kali) is worshiped over a fortnight in the month of
October. Many ritual offerings and animal sacrifices are made at this
time, and there is much feasting and visiting among immediate family and
extended kin. On the tenth day of the fortnight each individual male and
female pays respect to senior relatives, who then reciprocate by placing
a colored
tika
on the forehead of the junior person. Also observed is Phagu (called
Holi in India), the spring rite of Hindu culture related to fecundity
and the god Krishna. It comes in the month of Phagun (February-March)
and is a riotous time when men, women, and children sing, dance, and
throw colored powder and water at each other. Other annual festivals
include Tihar (Dipavali, the festival of lights), Janai Purnima
(changing of the sacred thread), and Tij-panchami (a purificatory rite
for women). Rituals in addition to those mentioned above (under
Socialization and Marriage) include worship of the household god (
kuldevta
), worship of brothers by sisters (
bhai tika,
celebrated during Tihar), and daily (morning and sometimes evening)
worship of various of the Hindu deities, including Ganesh, Shiva,
Vishnu, Ram, Krishna, Saraswati, Durga, Parvati, Narayan, Bhairab, and
many others. Some Chhetris of west Nepal worship Mashta through shamans
(
dhamis
or
jhankris
) and know little or nothing about traditional Hindu deities and
festivals.

Arts.
Brahmans and Chhetris are not known for their artistic interests or
abilities. Music, dance, and visual and plastic arts are traditionally
the domain of other, generally lower castes, and except among educated
urban people Brahmans and Chhetris do not indulge themselves in these
activities. Their simple, mostly undecorated houses reflect this lack of
artistic bent.

Medicine.
Brahmans and Chhetris will accept medical help from any available
source, whether it is an Ayurvedic doctor (a specialist in herbal
medicine), a passing Buddhist lama with a reputation for effective
medicines, a shaman who prescribes treatment after going into a trance,
or a practitioner trained in modern scientific medicine.

Death and Afterlife.
Someone whose death appears to be imminent is taken to a riverbank to
die, as all rivers are considered sacred. Even if death occurs
elsewhere, within hours the corpse is cremated beside the river, into
which the ashes are finally cast. Mourning restrictions (including
elimination of salt and other items from the diet) for the death of a
close relative are observed for thirteen days. Men shave their heads and
are considered polluting during this time. At the end of the mourning
period a big feast takes place. Food and other items for the deceased in
the next life are given as gifts to the officiating priest. For one year
a monthly
shraddha
ceremony is performed. Thereafter an annual shraddha ceremony
commemorates the person who has died. Without funeral rites—which
must be performed by a son—the deceased cannot proceed to either
Heaven or Hell and instead will plague survivors as an evil spirit.

User Contributions:

Hello, I just want to know one thing my name is Ajay Chhettri & my gotra is Kashyapa and my parents told me that we are from Brahman family. Can you help me with this like in which catagory i fall brahmin or Katriya ???

You are concerned in Kathmandu only. Nepal is not only Kathmandu. Since, very beginning.when Kathmandu and its east parts were ruled by Kirats and the remaining western part(about 50% or more parts) were ruled by Thakuris from Sinja, Jumla. It is said, the Nepali language was developed from here. Both Kirats and Thakuris were not Hindus. Both of them worshiped MASHTA DEVATA..Today, we do not know many more about this. And we do not know when this DHARMA lost from Nepal. So, I'd like to request to you to find details about it.Because all the people of world do belief, Google knows every thing.Hope, I'll have answers earlier from you. Thank you very much.

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